Unemployment is up by 0.3 percentage points m/m, exceeding 800,000
In January 2025, Poland's registered unemployment rate increased to 5.4%, up 0.3 percentage points from December and similar to last year, according to GUS. The number of unemployed exceeded 837,000, with 131,100 new job seekers, 38.8% more than in December, but 2.7% fewer than a year ago.
The rise is seasonal, as fixed-term contracts and job activation programs end in December. Additionally, minimum wage hikes push some workers into the informal sector. Unemployment rose the most in Lower Silesia, Kuyavian-Pomeranian, and five other regions.
Meanwhile, job offers declined by 10.6%, and group layoffs surged, with 12,700 planned dismissals in 48 companies. If this trend continues, experts warn of potential risks to Poland’s labor market stability.
